To cater to the transport needs of people during the Sankranti festivities, the AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) will press into service 6,970 special buses that will operate from January 7 to 18.
“There is an increase of 35% of buses this year, compared to last year’s special operations,” said the corporation Managing Director Ch. Dwaraka Tirumala Rao, at a press conference here on Thursday.
He said the corporation, however, would charge 50% extra bus fare in the special services as these buses would run one side empty and expressed the hope that people would understand the situation and extend their patronage to the RTC services.
“There has been a steep hike in diesel rates but the APSRTC did not increase the bus ticket rates,” he said, and informed that the buses with service number starting from 9,000 series were being operated as special services.
He said the corporation planned its special services well in advance for the festival from cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai to various places in the State.
He said reservation facility was provided for 511 special bus services from Hyderabad and 50% seats were already booked.
Mr. Rao requested people to exercise utmost caution while travelling by strictly following the COVID protocol.
Responding to a query on inter-State agreement with the Telangana RTC, Mr. Rao said, “We believe in healthy and fair business practices.” He said instead of allowing the private bus operators to take away the benefits, there could have been ways for the two States to agree upon and improve their businesses.
Citing the instance of the cargo sector in the APSRTC, he said it had been earning good revenue even while charging less than what the neighbouring States collected. “Our decisions are always based on rationality,” he reiterated.
The corporation Executive Director (Administration) A. Koteswara Rao, ED (Operations) K. S. Brahmanandam and others were present.
